Pahalgam attack carried out to vitiate atmosphere: Govt tells all-party meet

New Delhi: The government on Thursday told an all-party meeting that the Pahalgam attack was carried out to vitiate the atmosphere at a time when the economy of Jammu and Kashmir was on the upswing and tourism was booming.

Briefing reporters after the meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said all parties said they were with the government and against terror.

The party leaders were briefed by Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Union Home Ministry officials on the steps being taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, Rijiju said.

Home Minister Amit Shah, present in the meeting, interjected wherever required as officials briefed MPs, according to sources.

At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed and scores injured when terrorists shot them in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

Singh briefed the all-party meeting on how the Pahalgam attack took place and subsequent decisions by the government.

The government on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the terror attack.

Rijiju said the government assured leaders of action against terror and their backers.

After the meeting, the sources said troops were present in Pahalgam but were not deployed because the local authorities did not know about tourists being taken to Baisaran.

They said tour operators and local hoteliers did not inform the authorities about the movement of the tourists.

They underlined that deployment of forces takes place based on details provided by tour operators.

Opposition MPs spoke about their sentiments but there was no "bitter exchange" in the meeting, the sources said.

MPs also accepted that transformation was taking place in the Union Territory. There have been no incidents of stone-pelting or arson in the recent past, they said.

There was a renewed interest even among the MPs to visit Jammu and Kashmir, the sources pointed out, adding that several parliamentary committees have been visiting the UT.

The opposition was of the view that the government was taking resolute action, the sources said.